The Rajasthan government today waived service tax and fire service tax for the next one year on industries that have been affected by the fire at the Indian Oil service centre near here.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot also announced postponing the levying of value-added tax on the industries at the Sitapura Economic Zone up to March, 2010 where the fire in two of the eleven tanks is still blazing.

Gehlot also said that installments of loans borrowed by any unit from RIICO and RFC would be extended. And these financial institutions would provide a fresh top-up loan of Rs10 lakh to people aspiring to set up industries in the zone.

Industrialists would have to apply for this loan within next seven days, he said.